How does Fastert leverage the Belt and Road Initiative to achieve the process of globalization?
On October 8, 2023, in the production workshop of Shanxi Fast Automotive Transmission Group Co., Ltd. located in the Xi’an High-tech Zone, human-machine-material-law-environment highly collaborative operations were underway, and the production line was busy and orderly. At the same time, Fast was preparing to transport trucks loaded with heavy-duty automotive transmissions from its factory in Luoyong Province, Thailand to various Southeast Asian countries.
Fast adheres to a development strategy that emphasizes both going global and importing. Through active exploration and accelerated industrial cooperation, its international business has achieved significant growth. So far, the sales volume of Fast’s heavy-duty automotive transmissions has maintained the top position in the world for 17 consecutive years. From January to August this year, the company’s export earnings increased by more than 64%, and all performance indicators achieved steady growth.
Fast has established its own overseas factory, Fast Automotive Transmission (Thailand) Co., Ltd., in Thailand. The factory has produced more than 50,000 sets of various types of transmissions. Under the promotion of the “Belt and Road” Initiative, Fast started the sole investment construction of this overseas factory in 2014, and has achieved good results.
The types of transmissions produced by Fast’s Thai factory include 6-speed, 8-speed, 9-speed, 12-speed, and 16-speed dual intermediate shaft transmissions, which can be widely used in heavy vehicles, buses, medium and light trucks, construction vehicles, mining vehicles, and low-speed trucks with torque inputs ranging from 300 Nm to 3000 Nm and load capacities from 3 tons to 60 tons. The production line of the Thai factory includes machining and assembly, with an annual production capacity of 30,000 transmissions. More than 50,000 sets of various types of transmissions have been produced so far.
Wang Linqiang is the head of Fast’s Thai company, and his work is busy and orderly. Recently, he paid special visits to clients such as UD Trucks Company, Thailand NEX Company, and Vietnam Saigon Bus Company, discussing and confirming orders for 2024, and further seeking opportunities for product matching. This year, Fast seized the opportunity of Thailand’s vigorous development of new energy vehicles, successfully introduced the new generation of new energy powertrains to the Thai market, and obtained an order for 500 units of new energy powertrains. These orders have now begun bulk supply. Fast will continue to provide product supply and technical services to newly-developed new energy customers, assisting them in new vehicle development and matching.
Currently, Fast’s Thai company has obtained certification from the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) and enjoys preferential policies such as duty-free import of raw materials for production and export products, duty-free import of equipment, and exemption from value-added tax. In addition, the company enjoys the preferential policy of 8 years of tax exemption and 5 years of half-reduced enterprise income tax.
It is understood that Fast’s Thai company is the only heavy-duty transmission manufacturer in the ASEAN region and the exclusive transmission supplier for UD Trucks. Currently, the Thai company, centered on Thailand with Vietnam and India as nodes, has established a sales and service network in major commercial vehicle markets in ASEAN.
By establishing a factory and starting production in Thailand, Fast provides comprehensive services such as high-quality products, professional technical support, complete sales and service networks, and timely spare parts supply to whole vehicle manufacturers and end-users in Southeast Asia, and further radiates the ASEAN market. Currently, Fast’s Thai company has achieved product matching with several host factories in Southeast Asia, and has become an important window for Fast’s overseas strategy to upgrade from product export to technology and brand export, opening the door for the enterprise’s global development and internationalization.
By accelerating the internationalization process of development and scientifically adjusting global industrial layout, Fast has established good strategic cooperation relationships with dozens of multinational companies such as Daimler, Caterpillar, and Eaton, and successfully joined the global supply chain systems of world-renowned automotive and component companies. Its international influence continues to expand. In addition, Fast has established Xi’an Shuangte Intelligent Transmission Co., Ltd., Fast Eaton (Xi’an) Power Transmission System Co., Ltd., and Fast Eaton (Baoji) Light-duty Transmission Co., Ltd. through holding shares, focusing on high-end fields, and becoming a new driving force for the development of international joint ventures and win-win cooperation for the enterprise.
After years of development, the companies invested and constructed by Fast overseas have become one of the main transmission suppliers for many overseas automobile manufacturers. The exported transmission varieties involve more than ten series and more than twenty varieties of the latest high-end, intelligent, and automated developments. The supporting range and sales volume continue to increase, accelerating Fast’s strategic globalization, positioning as a high-end brand, market segmentation, and international brand goals.
Fast not only exports products to more than 50 countries and regions but also has distribution companies and offices in the United States, India, South Korea, Vietnam, and other countries and regions, providing comprehensive services to whole vehicle manufacturers and end-users, radiating surrounding markets and promoting the international layout of the enterprise, enhancing its global radiation effect.
Fast Group focuses on core technologies and equipment for intelligent manufacturing and has upgraded and optimized more than 100 production lines, achieving a CNC rate of 100% for key processes. This has transformed the traditional production manufacturing model and significantly improved the company’s production automation and intelligence level. Fast has established the Fast High Intelligence New Digital Intelligent Factory with an annual production capacity of 200,000 sets of high-end series transmissions, the Fast Intelligent Brake Industry Base, and the Fast Hydrodynamic Retarder Lightweight Intelligent Factory. This has brought about changes in organizational structure, manufacturing level, and production mode, increasing production efficiency by more than 70%, reducing energy consumption by 14%, and increasing labor productivity by more than 5 times.
Fast not only serves as a pillar of state-owned enterprises and a leader in the industry but also plays a leading role and exemplary effect in international joint ventures and cooperation, injecting a continuous stream of power into the high-quality development of the enterprise and making the Fast brand an important symbol of internationalization.
The co-building of the “Belt and Road” Initiative has benefited Fast greatly. This initiative has brought new development opportunities to the domestic equipment manufacturing industry, allowing Fast’s products to have a broader market and further increasing production capacity, effectively promoting the company’s innovation and upgrading. Enterprises must have lofty aspirations and pursuits, and cannot be satisfied with becoming localized companies but must participate in global market competition. The co-construction of the “Belt and Road” Initiative provides support for Fast, allowing its products and brands to gain extensive recognition in the international market. Currently, Fast’s products have been selected by more than 150 host factories as designated supporting products, widely exported to more than 50 countries and regions including North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Japan and Korea, and the Middle East. In order to seize new heights in the market, Fast focuses on implementation of major projects, concentrates on doing well in segmented markets, and strives to provide better products and services.
2023年10月8日，在陕西法士特汽车传动集团公司位于西安高新区的生产车间里，人机料法环高度协同作业，生产线上忙碌而有序。与此同时，法士特在泰国罗勇府伟华工业园的工厂正准备将满载重型汽车变速器的货车运往东南亚各国。
法士特坚持走出去和引进来并重的发展战略，通过积极探索加快推动产业合作，国际业务实现了大幅增长。迄今为止，法士特重型汽车变速器的产销量已连续17年稳居世界第一。今年1至8月，企业出口创汇增长超过64%，各项指标实现了稳步增长。
法士特在泰国建立了自己的海外工厂——法士特汽车传动（泰国）有限公司。该工厂已生产了5万余台各类变速器总成。在“一带一路”倡议的推动下，法士特于2014年开始独资建设这家海外工厂，并取得了良好的成果。
法士特泰国工厂生产的变速器类型包括6档、8档、9档、12档、16档等双中间轴变速器，可广泛应用于输入扭矩从300牛米到3000牛米、载重量从3吨到60吨的重型车辆、大客车、中轻型卡车、工程用车、矿用车和低速货车等各种车型。泰国工厂的生产线包括机加工和装配两个部分，年产能为3万台变速器。至今已经生产了5万余台各类变速器总成。
王林刚是法士特泰国公司的负责人，他的工作繁忙而有序。最近，他重点拜访了UD卡车公司、泰国NEX公司和越南西贡二公交公司等客户，与他们洽谈明确2024年的订单，并进一步寻找更多产品配套方面的机会。今年，法士特抓住了泰国大力发展新能源汽车的机会，成功将新一代新能源动力总成引入泰国市场，并获得500台新能源动力总成的订单。这些订单目前已开始批量供货。法士特将继续为新开发的新能源客户提供产品供货和技术服务，协助他们进行新车型的开发和匹配工作。
目前，法士特泰国公司已获得泰国投资促进委员会（BOI）的认证，享受生产出口产品所需原材料免关税、设备进口免税、免增值税等优惠政策。此外，企业还享受8年免收和5年减半征收企业所得税的优惠政策。
据了解，法士特泰国公司是东盟地区唯一一家重型变速器生产企业，也是UD卡车的独家变速器供应商。目前，泰国公司以泰国为中心，以越南和印度为节点，在东盟主要商用车市场建立了销售服务网络。
通过在泰国建厂投产，法士特为东南亚地区整车厂及终端用户提供了优质产品、专业技术支持、完善的销售服务网络和及时的备件供应等全方位的服务，并进一步辐射东盟市场。目前，法士特泰国公司已与东南亚多家主机厂实现了产品配套，并成为法士特海外战略从产品出口升级到技术和品牌出口的重要窗口，为企业的全球化发展打开了大门，开辟了国际化发展的新路径。
法士特集团通过加快国际化发展进程和科学调整全球产业布局，与美国、欧洲等数十家跨国公司建立了良好的战略合作关系，成功加入了戴姆勒、卡特彼勒、伊顿等世界著名汽车及零部件企业的全球供应链体系，国际影响力不断扩大。此外，法士特还通过控股成立了西安双特智能传动有限公司、法士特伊顿（西安）动力传动系统有限责任公司和法士特伊顿（宝鸡）轻型变速器有限责任公司，聚焦高端领域，成为企业国际化合资合作共赢发展的新动能。
经过多年发展，法士特在海外投资建设的公司已成为海外地区多家汽车厂商的主要变速器供应商之一。出口的变速器品种涉及最新研发的高端、智能、自动化的十多个系列和二十多个品种，配套范围和销量逐步攀升，使法士特加速向战略全球化、定位高端化、市场细分化和品牌国际化的目标迈进。
法士特不仅将产品出口到50多个国家和地区，还在美国、印度、韩国和越南等国家和地区设有分销公司和办事处，为整车厂及终端用户提供全方位服务，并辐射周边市场，推动企业的国际化布局，增强全球化辐射效应。
法士特集团注重智能制造核心技术装备，对100多条生产线进行了升级优化，使关键工序的数控化率达到100%，改变了传统生产制造模式，大幅提升了企业的生产制造自动化和智能化水平。法士特建成了年产能20万台高端系列变速器的法士特高智新数字化智能工厂、法士特智能制动产业基地和法士特液力缓速器轻量化智能工厂，实现了组织机构、制造水平和生产模式的变革，生产效率提高了70%以上，能源消耗降低了14%，人均产值提高了5倍以上。
法士特不仅作为国有企业的支柱和行业的排头兵，在国际合资合作中也发挥着引领作用和典型示范效应，为企业的高质量发展注入了源源不断的动力，使法士特品牌成为企业国际化发展的重要象征。
共建“一带一路”倡议让法士特受益良多。该倡议为国内装备制造业带来了新的发展机遇，让法士特的产品有了更广阔的市场，产能释放得到进一步提升，有力推动了企业的创新升级发展。企业必须有远大的志向和追求，不能满足于成为本土化企业，而是要参与全球市场竞争。共建“一带一路”倡议为法士特提供了支撑，使其产品和品牌在国际市场上获得了广泛认可。目前，法士特的产品被150多家主机厂选为定点配套产品，广泛出口到北美、南美、欧洲、非洲、东南亚、南亚、日韩、中东等50多个国家和地区。为了抢占市场的新高地，法士特以重大项目实施为基础，专心做好细分市场，努力提供更好的产品和服务。
